Dr. Polley Jason Scott sees harnessing the talents of young academics as his vocation. He uses a student-centred style of leadership. He offers his research postgraduate students (RPgs) the space to nurture their talents in their own ways. His own interests since joining HKBU in 2007 have evolved from postmodern American literature to World Literatures in Englishes. He encourages all his students to evolve as scholars as they problematize (false) boundaries between creativity and criticism. His students thus work across disciplinary divides: musicology, environmental refugees, poetry in virtual worlds.

In the past five years, his three RPgs have combined to attend ten international conferences, the most notable being the 33rd International Conference on “Narrative” in Montreal, Canada, in Spring 2018, where Dr Polley’s Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) awardee won the Alan Nadel Prize for Best Graduate Essay in 2016, conferred by the prestigious International Society for the Study of Narrative.

The same student, now an associate professor, recently had his first book published by Routledge. The monograph adapts his PhD thesis, which Dr Polley copy-edited in order to emulate the international review process (a part of the training he offers). Dr Polley’s current two PhDs regularly attend global virtual conferences, and have published (or have forthcoming ) five top-tier journal articles. These publications include two co-edited essay volumes, one co-edited by Dr Polley. The book disseminates the voices of independent, early career, and late-career academics. Circulating uncelebrated voices, Dr Polley continues co-authoring projects with other English graduates and junior colleagues.

Collegiality is integral to departmental research culture, and bespeaks the Arts Faculty’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, evidenced both in (i) the Course ARTD 7010: RPG Research Methodology Seminar in the Arts and Humanities, and (ii) the faculty-wide Research Niche Areas (FRNAs). English contributes to this Faculty initiative with the Department Seminar Series, open to students across the Faculty. As chair of the Research Postgraduate Studies Committee (RPGSC), Dr. Polley has championed, with Prof Stuart Christie’s help, improvements ensuring RPgs capitalise on department and faculty resources. The checklists the RPGSC circulates add transparency to the programme. The new annual “Whip Smart & Specialised: The ENG RPg Recruitment Salon” also confers transparency to RPg recruitment. The “Salon” provides an international forum for supervisors and applicants to discuss research alongside formal aspects of the RPg studentship.

Dr. Polley has clearly demonstrated a dedication with proven results from his supervision, to his RPg recruitment, to his promotion of research culture. The Selection Committee believes that Dr. Polley is a worthy recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Research Supervision.